Somewhere at the Bell Centre, in its heights or at ice level, Pierre Turgeon had the impression that his daughter Elizabeth was going to watch over him, Tuesday evening, during the beautiful ceremony in his honor, the day after his induction into the Temple of hockey fame.
“At some point, I’m going to see her,” he confided to The Press a few hours before the match, in the privacy of one of the Canadian’s private rooms, before appearing in front of the journalists. “Tonight, she’s going to be there, I’m convinced…”
Elizabeth was 18 years old on December 23, 2010. She was a member of the U.S. women’s under-18 hockey team and was about to begin the following season at the University of Minnesota when the van she was driving collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on a fog-shrouded New Mexico highway.
Her close friend and teammate Brittany Kraemer was seriously injured, but Elizabeth had no chance.
We had poverty for many years. Even today, I can hear a piece of music that reminds me of her and I get emotional, but I experience it differently. I have it with me this week. She’s part of it all. He’s a member of our family. It always does something inside. It’s very emotional.
Pierre Turgeon
Almost thirty members of the “magician of Rouyn”’s family accompanied him to Toronto Monday evening. About half followed to Montreal, including her two other daughters and the grandchildren. Dominic, his 27-year-old son, rushed back to Sweden to continue his season with Södertälje, after several years in the American League with the Red Wings farm club.
PHOTO COLE BURSTON, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Pierre Turgeon (left) was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday evening.
The NHL’s first overall pick in 1987, Pierre Turgeon had a grandiose career. He still occupies 34e rank in history in terms of points with 1,327, including 515 goals, in 1,294 games, one point more than Gilbert Perreault, 26 less than Guy Lafleur.
Even though he only played 104 games with the Canadiens, in 1995 and 1996, he experienced the greatest moments of his career there. He participated in the closing of the Montreal Forum and the opening of the Bell Center (then called the Molson Centre) as captain.
“To close the Forum and open the Molson Center, to find myself in the same amphitheater as Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau and Guy Lafleur, nothing can beat that, it’s the story that was being written,” said he moments later in the Bell Center interview room, surrounded by dozens of reporters.
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Pierre Turgeon
In his only full season with the Canadiens, in 1995-1996, Turgeon amassed 96 points, including 38 goals. He would move to the St. Louis Blues in October 1996, almost a year after the departure of his great friend Patrick Roy, for Shayne Corson and Murray Baron in a transaction from which the CH would take several decades to recover.
Turgeon had just been relegated to the third center position by coach Mario Tremblay, behind Saku Koivu and Vincent Damphousse. “I was the one who asked to be traded. I was only 27 and wasn’t ready to change roles. »
He would amass 562 points in 355 games in St. Louis, before joining the Dallas Stars, then the Colorado Avalanche.
Pierre Turgeon nevertheless waited 10 years before receiving the long-awaited call from a member of the Temple’s management committee, former hockey player Lanny McDonald.
I was on the treadmill in Vegas celebrating my sister-in-law’s birthday when the phone rang. I saw the 416 area code and didn’t answer. It reminded and reminded and reminded. I finally picked up and when Lanny McDonald called his name, I didn’t need any explanations…
Pierre Turgeon
Turgeon has just had some crazy days, with his induction into the Hall of Fame in Toronto, then his place in the ring of honor at the Bell Centre.
“The last few days have been extraordinary,” he confided during his interview at the end of the day. Three, four days goes by quickly. This will all end, but I try to stay in the present moment as much as possible. I work on this every day. This is what I learned with her [Elizabeth]. Life is so fragile. We must never lose the present moment, even in moments like these, when everything is moving so quickly. I enjoy every moment. »